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Academic Commons Search Resultsen-usThe American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2015https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:198722
Petkova, Elisaveta P.; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; Sury, Jonathan; Chandler, Thomas E.; Duran Herrera, Cynthia; Bhaskar, Shwetha; Sehnert, Erin M.; Martinez, Stephanie; Marx, Sabine M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://dx.doi.org/10.7916/D84Q7TZNFri, 15 Apr 2016 16:22:05 +0000The American Preparedness Project was launched by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) in 2002, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in order to survey public perceptions and opinions on disaster preparedness and to acknowledge that a comprehensive understanding of the concerns of individuals and families is critical to emergency planning efforts on all levels. Characterizing such trends is critical because in order to develop effective disaster plans, as well as a sustainable long term disaster preparedness strategy, people need to be confident in (a) the reliability of information from official sources, (b) the capacity of government to perform effectively in a crisis and (c) the capability of response systems, particularly health systems and first responders.The major findings of the 2015 American Preparedness Project are presented in the Key Findings section of this report.
The American Preparedness Project survey has been administered eight times since the launch of the project in 2002. Although the content of the questionnaire has changed over time to reflect the changing disaster landscape, a select set of questions has been asked in every iteration of the survey in order to capture changes over time.These questions are presented in the National Trends Since 9/11 section of this report and capture national confidence in household and community preparedness, response systems, and leadership. Following the overview of national trends over time, the report highlights findings from the current survey (see Key Findings in 2015) across the domains of General Preparedness, Natural Disasters and Climate Change,Terrorism, and Children in Disasters. The report concludes with Recommendations for improving national, community and household-level preparedness.Public health, Social psychology, Emergency managment, Children, Public opinion, Natural disasters--Management, Terrorismepp2109, js4645, jjs2154, tec11, cdh2134, sb2940, ems2271, sym2111, sm2234, ir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth InstituteReportsAnger Versus Fear: Perceptions of Terrorism Among the American Publichttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:198274
Sury, Jonathan; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; Redlener, Irwin E.http://dx.doi.org/10.7916/D83B6014Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:27:12 +0000With recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; San Bernardino, California and elsewhere, the rhetoric for addressing the issue of terrorism has grown more polarized. In particular we have seen increasingly aggressive statements demanding limits to immigration, increasing vigilance against Muslim communities, and calling for more direct military action against terrorist organizations.The tone of these statements has prompted an important question as to the underlying reason for the desire for more aggressive policing and military tactics. It has also raised critical questions regarding surveillance and data privacy rights via encryption backdoors on every day technologies. Is this desire for action driven more by a sense of fear and anxiety? Or is this driven by anger and humiliation?The answer to these questions may help understand which groups of individuals are likely to support or reject various approaches to combatting terrorism, as well as their perceptions of the kind of leadership needed.Public policy, Terrorism, Terrorism--Prevention, Public opinion, Islamophobiajjs2154, js4645, ir2110National Center for Disaster PreparednessReportsChildren in Disasters: Do Americans Feel Prepared? A National Surveyhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:194073
Petkova, Elisaveta P.; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; Sury, Jonathan; Chandler, Thomas E.; Duran Herrera, Cynthia; Bhaskar, Shwetha; Sehnert, Erin M.; Martinez, Stephanie; Marx, Sabine M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://dx.doi.org/10.7916/D85M65J9Fri, 05 Feb 2016 11:37:08 +0000This study was led by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute on behalf of the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities (RCRC) Initiative, in partnership with Save the Children with funding from GSK.The purpose of the study was to learn more about people’s opinions and attitudes toward disaster preparedness with a focus on children in disasters.The national survey of American households was conducted in December 2015. Eligible participants were 18 years of age or older, and included participants, with or without children, in their household. Many of the families surveyed had children in a K-12 school or in daycare.Public health, Social psychology, Emergency managment, Children, Public opinionepp2109, js4645, jjs2154, tec11, cdh2134, sb2940, ems2271, sym2111, sm2234, ir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth InstituteReportsChildren as Potential Targets of Terrorism: Conference Reporthttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:182105
Redlener, Irwin E.http://dx.doi.org/10.7916/D8ZC81PXMon, 02 Feb 2015 13:10:52 +0000The working group was an assembly of top thinkers who through their professional and personal endeavours stand poised to consider the implications of children as explicit targets of terrorism and provide directions for research and policy. The group was structured to be a small, select convergence of high-level persons situated in a forum of free discussion. An underlying objective of the group is for participants to be a resource for each other as well as select communities including policy makers and media. The group will convene periodically as issues emerge and research directions develop. The meeting was structured around four conversations: Veracity of the threat; Prevention and Preparedness; Health System Response; and Psychological Consequences. This meeting report will follow the order of the speakers.Public health, Public policyir2110National Center for Disaster PreparednessReportsHow Americans Feel About Terrorism And Security: Two Years After 9/11https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:157477
Redlener, Irwin E.; Markenson, David; Grant, Roy F.; Johnson, Dennis G.; Thomas, Gregory A.; Tedmor, Boaz; Hoven, Christina; Gershon, Robyn R.; Duarte, Cristiane S.; McKenzie, Rebeccahttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:19292Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:07:31 +0000Understanding attitudes, concerns and reactions of individuals and families is critical to emergency planning efforts on all levels. In order to have effective implementation of a disaster plan, people need to be confident in (a) the reliability of information from official sources, (b) the capacity of government to perform effectively in a crisis and (c) the capability of response systems, particularly the health systems and first responders. Absence of confidence in response systems or leadership may undermine the best of crisis plans, leading to unnecessary panic and potential excess loss of life. In August 2003, The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with The Children's Health Fund, commissioned the Marist Institute for Public Opinion to conduct a survey of adults nearly two years after the multiple terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The survey included both a national and a New York City representative sample of households contacted by telephone. Questions covered a wide range of issues including people's concern about potential new additional acts of terrorism in the U.S., the government's ability to protect citizens, and the health system's capacity to respond. Throughout, specific questions were asked of a subset of parents of children from four to eighteen years of age. To the extent possible, specific questions were replicated from four previous surveys commissioned by The Children's Health Fund since September 11, 2001 to identify trends in public attitudes and perceptions.Public health, Social psychologyir2110, rfg2101, dj2113, ch42, rg405, cd2003Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Pediatrics, Epidemiology, Psychiatry, Nursing, Mailman School of Public HealthReportsChildren’s Health after the Oil Spill: A Four-State Study Findings from the Gulf Coast Population Impact (GCPI) Projecthttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:156715
Abramson, David M.; Peek, Lori ; Redlener, Irwin E.; Beedasy, Jaishree ; Aguilar, Thomas ; Sury, Jonathan ; Banister, Akilah N.; May, Rebecca ; Columbia University. National Center for Disaster Preparednesshttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:18939Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:24:15 +0000In 2012, with funding from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University, in partnership with the Children’s Health Fund, launched a four-state study in order (1) to identify communities of children in the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida who were adversely impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, (2) to explore the prevalence of physical and mental health effects among these children, and (3) to conduct a preliminary assessment of the health services available to these children and the potential for targeted interventions or health system enhancements. We identified fifteen communities with higher numbers of BP compensation claims submitted by individuals and by businesses, and which also had higher rates of oil washing up on their shores based upon monitoring data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Over a span of four and a half months, a field team of six interviewers and two field coordinators completed 1,437 face-to-face household surveys. The parents whom we interviewed reported considerable exposure to the oil spill as well as a number of physical and mental health problems among their children. Over half of the parents interviewed in these highly-impacted communities reported that their children had some type of oil spill-related exposure, whether it was through physical, environmental, or economic factors. One in every five parents said their children had direct contact with the oil; one in four reported smelling strong oil-related odors; and two of every five said their household had lost income or a job since the oil spill. A little over 40% of parents in these high-impact communities reported some type of health effect experienced by their children since the oil spill. 18.1% of the parents said their children had experienced breathing problems after the oil spill, 14.8% noted skin problems, 16.0% reported visual problems and 21.6% mentioned emotional or behavioral problems since the oil spill. In October 2012 our research team traveled to four communities to interview local officials and leaders and conduct in-depth parent focus groups. We selected the four communities based on the household data, where parents had reported significant health effects. Across the four communities, the team heard of significant issues related to children’s health and well-being.Public health, Public policydma3, lap2190, ir2110, jb3506, tua2001, jjs2154, anb2121, rlm2148Sociomedical Sciences, National Center for Disaster PreparednessReportsLegacy of Katrina: The Impact of a Flawed Recovery on Vulnerable Children of the Gulf Coasthttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:156086
Redlener, Irwin E.; DeRosa, Caroline; Parisi, Kelly; Columbia University. National Center for Disaster Preparedness; Children's Health Fundhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:18864Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:38:11 +0000It is estimated that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on August 29th, 2005 and was followed a month later by Hurricane Rita, approximately 1.5 million people, including some 163,000 children were displaced in Louisiana and Mississippi alone.
Since children and families who had the means fled the city, those who were left were often the poorest and most vulnerable. These populations became the most dependent on the government’s efforts to help in the recovery process, and were the most affected when those efforts were less than sufficient. Those who previously had been marginalized and underserved were now faced with an unfathomably steep slope to climb in gaining access to resources. In the months after the storms, obstacles to health care became entrenched through the combination of facility closures and shortages of health care providers. In addition, federal disaster case management initiatives, which were meant to help victims access recovery resources, were slow to start and lacked both the comprehensiveness and continuity that were needed. To make matters worse, many of these case management programs were terminated prior to resolving challenges facing families and without making appropriate arrangements for satisfactory follow-up. Five years following the disasters of 2005, there have been significant signs of economic, infrastructural, and educational recovery in the Gulf. However, there are still serious shortfalls in certain areas of human recovery, particularly regarding mental health and housing stability. Compounding the remaining needs from the hurricanes, the region is now facing a man-made disaster—the aftermath of the BP oil spill. Identifying, assessing and providing professional assistance to children still in need remains an unmet challenge with highly worrisome consequences for the future. But most importantly, the affected families need urgent assistance to, five years after Katrina, return to a state of "normalcy". Immediately after Katrina, Children’s Health Fund (CHF) responded to the vital health needs of the Gulf Coast by establishing Operation Assist in collaboration with the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. As part of this project, CHF dispatched mobile medical units to provide disaster relief health services, which eventually led to the creation of three permanent CHF pediatric programs in the Gulf region. This collaboration also included a longitudinal cohort study, the Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study (G-CAFH), which was designed to track the progress of a representative population of severely-impacted Gulf families over the ensuing years. The findings from the most recent G-CAFH surveys are included in this paper as well as on the ground anecdotal information from CHF Gulf Coast pediatric programs, which are consistent with the G-CAFH study results.Public healthir2110Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsSnapshot 2005: Where the American Public Stands on Terrorism and Preparedness Four Years after September 11https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155726
Redlener, Irwin E.; Johnson, Dennis G.; Berman, David A.; Grant, Royhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:18780Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:54:24 +0000The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) 2005 survey of the American public’s attitudes and views on terrorism, preparedness, and associated issues is the latest in a series of national surveys administered annually beginning in the months after September 11, 2001. The survey was completed in July 2005, just after the London Underground bombings and just before Hurricane Katrina. NCDP commissioned national and New York City public opinion polls in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001 to gauge the American public’s views and attitudes on a wide range of topics germane to disaster preparedness and emergency events. Since the first polls which were completed 3 and 6-months after September 11, 2001, NCDP has annually commissioned a survey which goes to the field in July-August, just before the anniversary of September 11. The 2005 survey was the fourth annual. Each survey includes trended questions as well as “one-off” questions appropriate to the given time period. Trended questions include confidence in government; willingness and ability to evacuate; personal and family preparedness plans; personal sacrifice; community preparedness; perceptions and engagement of all-hazard preparedness; and other questions thematic with the afore listed.. All questions are cross-tabulated with a variety of demographics including race, age, gender, income, region, size of community, political affiliation, and education. Further, select questions establishing a division of respondent (e.g. those having personal and family preparedness plans versus those who do not) are cross-tabulated with other selected questions to observe correlations. (e.g. awareness of community preparedness plans). The surveys are developed by NCDP investigators in conjunction with Marist, who administers the survey, codes the data, and produces the frequency tables. Full data and trend tables are available on request.Public healthir2110, dj2113Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsEthical and Legal Challenges Posed by mandatory Hurricane Evacuation: Duties and Limitshttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155445
Fairchild, Amy L.; Colgrove, James K.; Jones, Marian Moser; Redlener, Irwin E.; Bayer, Ronaldhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15773Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:13:40 +0000When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, between 70,000 and 100,000 residents of New Orleans either did not or could not comply with the order that had been issued to evacuate. The events surrounding Katrina raised critical legal and ethical questions about the use of mandatory evacuation orders. We discuss four key ethical issues that must be confronted when considering whether to issue an order of mandatory evacuation: the costs of precautionary action in the face of uncertainty, the duty to provide for people, paternalism and the preemption of individual choice, the acceptability of compulsory measures.Public policyalf4, jc988, ir2110, rb8Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsResponding to an Emerging Humanitarian Crisis in Louisiana and Mississippi: Urgent Need for Health Care "Marshall Plan"https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155401
Redlener, Irwin E.; Schang, Gabriellehttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15761Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:15:26 +0000It is now clear that massive challenges are facing the recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region ravaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the flooding of New Orleans. Evacuees from the hardest hit communities who are currently in extended shelter status, particularly those with limited economic means, may already formally fall under internationally accepted definitions of “internally displaced persons” (as distinct from “refugees” who cross international borders to escape persecution). More than 50% of the New Orleans pre-Katrina population of nearly 500,000 has not yet returned. Some have dispersed to other parts of Louisiana or many other states and may, in fact, be resettled with some success. A series of telephone surveys and structured observations by health and social services professionals over the past few months have underscored some of the major concerns emerging among displaced individuals.
A new study, the first comprehensive face-to-face field survey of residents in FEMA shelters based in Louisiana, conducted in February 2006 by David Abramson PhD, MPH and Richard Garfield RN, DrPH, has documented a series of extremely urgent needs which must be evaluated and addressed as quickly as possible . Failure to address these needs will potentially lead to permanent, highly significant consequences on the health, mental health, education and well-being of thousands of children and their families. The study, “On the Edge: Children and Families Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Face a Looming Medical and Mental Health Crisis,”* was part of an on- going needs assessment by Operation Assist , a collaborative effort of the Children’s Health Fund and The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Public healthir2110Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsEmergency Preparedness: Addressing the Needs of Persons with Disabilitieshttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155353
Markenson, David; Fuller, Elizabeth J.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15496Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:59:09 +0000In July 2004, President Bush signed an Executive Order explicitly stating the policy of the United States in the area of emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. The Executive Order built on The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990 “to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities” (42 U S .C. 12101[b][1]).
Although the ADA does not address emergency preparedness directly, Titles II and III have clauses that are relevant to emergency preparedness.
Title II: Provides that no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, program s or activities of a public entity. Title III: No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of a disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities or accommodations of any place of public accommodation. “Public entity” is defined as state and local governments and certain transportation authorities. Thus, emergency services operated by a state or local government cannot discriminate against people with disabilities. Public accommodations are listed in the statute and include hotels, auditoriums, parks, professional offices of health care providers and gymnasiums (CRS, Report for Congress, “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Emergency Preparedness and Response” September 13, 2005). These structures could feasibly be utilized in times of natural or man made disasters.
“Public entity” is defined as state and local governments and certain transportation authorities. Thus, emergency services operated by a state or local government cannot discriminate against people with disabilities. Public accommodations are listed in the statute and include hotels, auditoriums, parks , professional offices of health care providers and gymnasiums (CRS, Report for Congress, “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Emergency Preparedness and Response” September 13, 2005). These structures could feasibly be utilized in times of natural or manmade disasters.Public health, Public policyir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsHow Americans Feel About Terrorism and Security: Three Years After September 11https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155284
Redlener, Irwin E.; Markenson, David; Grant, Roy F.; Berman, David A.; McKenzie, Rebeccahttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15468Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:38:08 +0000The following is a product of The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, commissioned in collaboration with The Children’s Health Fund (CHF), and conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. NCDP is a major national and international resource in disaster and terrorism readiness. NCDP includes one of the original Academic Centers for Public Health Preparedness, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prior to September 11, 2001. This White Paper summarizes the latest in a series of surveys designed to identify trends and public attitudes related to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Over time, these surveys have also been useful in monitoring the impact of subsequent events including the crash of American Airlines flight 587, the unresolved anthrax attacks, the ambiguity over smallpox vaccinations, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the issuance of color-coded security alerts and government requests for enhanced public vigilance.Public health, Public administrationir2110, rfg2101Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Pediatrics, Mailman School of Public HealthReportsUncommon Sense, Uncommon Courage: How the New York City School System, Its Teachers, Leadership and Students Responded to the Terror of September 11https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155278
Degnan, Anne Lee; Thomas, Gregory A.; Markenson, David; Song, Yumie; Fuller, Elizabeth J.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15467Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:11:34 +0000Eight public schools are situated within a quarter mile of Ground Zero with 9,000 students ranging in ages from three to eighteen years – grammar, middle and high schools. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 in the midst of chaos and a relentless unfolding of tragedy, professionals of the Board of Education safely evacuated all 9,000 students without injury. They also ensured that all 1.1 million school children, in every part of the city got home safely, reunited with family and loved ones. They did this as transportation around the City was halted, subways, roads, bridges were closed, and airspace over the United States was shutdown except to military flights. This report is the articulation of a truly effective reaction by a complex organization. Some would label it as luck or extraordinary good fortune. In fact, when all the evidence is finally in, this report argues that the Board of Education’s handling of the crisis presented by 9/11, comprised its “shining moment” – where leadership and courage were manifest and where the paramount objective “get our kids home safe” made the difference between life and death.Public health, Public administrationald1, ir2110Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Urban Planning, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsHow Americans Feel About Terrorism and Security: Two Years After September 11https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:155266
Redlener, Irwin E.; Markenson, David; Grant, Roy F.; Berman, David A.; McKenzie, Rebeccahttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:15463Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:17:20 +0000Understanding attitudes, concerns and reactions of individuals and families is critical to emergency planning efforts on all levels. In order to have effective implementation of a disaster plan, people need to be confident in (a) the reliability of information from official sources, (b) the capacity of government to perform effectively in a crisis and (c) the capability of response systems, particularly the health systems and first responders. Absence of confidence in response systems or leadership may undermine the best of crisis plans, leading to unnecessary panic and potential excess loss of life. In August 2003, The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’'s Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with The Children’s Health Fund, commissioned the Marist Institute for Public Opinion to conduct a survey of adults nearly two years after the multiple terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The survey included both a national and a New York City representative sample of households contacted by telephone. Questions covered a wide range of issues including people’s concern about potential new additional acts of terrorism in the U.S., the government’s ability to protect citizens, and the health system’s capacity to respond. Throughout, specific questions were asked of a subset of parents of children from four to eighteen years of age. To the extent possible, specific questions were replicated from four previous surveys commissioned by The Children’s Health Fund since September 11, 2001 to identify trends in public attitudes and
perceptions.Public health, Public administrationir2110, rfg2101Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Pediatrics, Mailman School of Public HealthReportsClimate Change and the Public's Health: The Coming Crisis for the U.S. Gulf Coasthttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:152927
Redlener, Irwin E.; Culp, Derrinhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14795Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:25:29 +0000This paper reviews the scientific consensus as to how climate change will affect human health on a global scale and describes the limited, emerging research findings concerning climate change health impacts along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Through myriad pathways, climate change is likely to make the Gulf Coast less hospitable and more dangerous for Americans, and may prompt substantial migration from and into the region. The paper also summarizes the primary prescriptions and adaptations found in the public health literature for meeting climate change‘s threats to human health, along with several recent findings that America‘s state and local public health agencies recognize the approaching problems but lack the resources to make climate change preparedness, education, needs assessment or adaptation high priorities. It also should be noted that several factors besides climate change are converging to exacerbate the fragility of this region, including coastal erosion and subsidence and the ongoing threat of energy infrastructure failure (such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill catastrophe). This paper provides a comprehensive survey of current U.S. federal government activities—as yet uncoordinated and inadequately funded—to elucidate the public health implications of climate change and to help all levels of government create the tools and institutional structures necessary to adapt to the coming crisis. Finally, it considers pending legislation and executive branch actions to jump start public health adaptation to climate change.Public health, Climate changeir2110, dc2268Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsThe Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrinahttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:148116
Abramson, David M.; Garfield, Richard M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:13577Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:40:51 +0000The individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and who have ended up in FEMA-subsidized community housing in Louisiana are facing a second crisis, one in which untreated and undertreated chronic medical problems and incipient mental health issues will overwhelm patients and providers. Among the displaced, children may be particularly vulnerable. In New Orleans alone, approximately 110,000 children under age eighteen – 85% of the pre-Katrina pediatric population – have not returned to the city since the hurricanes. These children, and others from outside of New Orleans, have been scattered throughout the Gulf Coast and across the fifty states. Louisiana's school enrollment dropped by 70,000 students, many of whom have resettled in other states, some who have not yet returned to school in Louisiana. The Louisiana Child & Family Health Study focused on the displaced population living in FEMA-subsidized housing in Louisiana, and who may be among the most needy. According to interviews with adults in 665 randomly selected households at trailer communities and hotels throughout the state, this displaced group of children and families suffers from a constellation of serious medical and mental health problems. Parents report high rates of asthma, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities among their children. Despite that, access to continuous medical care, appropriate mental health care, medications, specialized medical equipment, and specialty medical care, is either fragmented at best, or absent altogether. The medical and mental health needs documented in this report may be regarded as the consequence of inadequately treated chronic diseases, psychological and emotional traumas secondary to the chaos and despair of a massive dislocation, and the social deprivations of the chronically-poor and the newly-impoverished. At a deeper level, though, the problems relate to the loss of stability in people's lives: families that are increasingly fragile, children who are disengaged from schools, and the wholesale loss of community, workplace, and health care providers and institutions.Public healthdma3, rmg3, ir2110Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsMississippi Child and Family Health Study – Toplineshttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:148112
Abramson, David M.; Garfield, Richard M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:13576Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:26:30 +0000During the period of August 6 through August 26, 2006, the Columbia-led Mississippi Child & Family Health Study conducted an assessment among Mississippi residents displaced or heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The purpose of the study was to gather information that could inform local, state, and federal policymakers about the health and social service needs of displaced and impacted populations living in transitional community-based settings, such as trailer parks, and in community settings that had been heavily damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. Using FEMA damage assessment maps, the team randomly sampled 150 census blocks across the three most heavily impacted counties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Each of the census blocks contained between 1 – 80 housing units, with an average of 8 – 10 housing units. An advance team visited each of the census blocks and drew maps of all the housing "footprints," whether existing housing structures, or as in many cases, concrete slabs where houses had previously existed. The field team interviewed residents of 243 households in these community settings. Additionally, based on lists of trailer parks provided by FEMA, thirteen trailer parks were randomly selected, stratified by size and whether they were FEMA-developed parks or pre-existing commercial parks. The field team interviewed 333 residents in the selected parks. The respondents reported on their health status and health care needs, described their children's physical and mental health needs, and talked about the resources available to them as well as their plans for the future. The 576 households sampled are representative of approximately 14,000 households in the heavily impacted areas, encompassing over 37,000 individuals. The margin of error for most of the reported rates is + 4 points. Among households with children present, one child was randomly selected using a Kish sampling technique, and the adult respondent was asked about the child's health. Results reporting child-level data have been weighted proportional to the number of children in the household.Public health, Individual and family studiesdma3, rmg3, ir2110Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsThe Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrinahttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:148100
Abramson, David M.; Garfield, Richard M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:13574Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:05:02 +0000The individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and who have ended up in FEMA-subsidized community housing in Louisiana are facing a second crisis, one in which untreated and undertreated chronic medical problems and incipient mental health issues will overwhelm patients and providers. Among the displaced, children may be particularly vulnerable. In New Orleans alone, approximately 110,000 children under age eighteen – 85% of the pre-Katrina pediatric population – have not returned to the city since the hurricanes. These children, and others from outside of New Orleans, have been scattered throughout the Gulf Coast and across the fifty states. Louisiana's school enrollment dropped by 70,000 students, many of whom have resettled in other states, some who have not yet returned to school in Louisiana. The Louisiana Child & Family Health Study focused on the displaced population living in FEMA-subsidized housing in Louisiana, and who may be among the most needy. According to interviews with adults in 665 randomly selected households at trailer communities and hotels throughout the state, this displaced group of children and families suffers from a constellation of serious medical and mental health problems. Parents report high rates of asthma, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities among their children. Despite that, access to continuous medical care, appropriate mental health care, medications, specialized medical equipment, and specialty medical care, is either fragmented at best, or absent altogether. The medical and mental health needs documented in this report may be regarded as the consequence of inadequately treated chronic diseases, psychological and emotional traumas secondary to the chaos and despair of a massive dislocation, and the social deprivations of the chronically-poor and the newly-impoverished. At a deeper level, though, the problems relate to the loss of stability in people's lives: families that are increasingly fragile, children who are disengaged from schools, and the wholesale loss of community, workplace, and health care providers and institutions.Public healthdma3, rmg3, ir2110Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsDay Three: Regional Resiliency and Health Challenges in the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorismhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:144361
Redlener, Irwin E.; Levin, Karenhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:12469Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:16:34 +0000On February 23, 2010, in New York City, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (NCDP) convened a unique roundtable of experts to discuss the impacts on a major U.S. city and the surrounding region, of the detonation by terrorists of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device. Aware of the immediate impact of such a major catastrophic event, participants were nonetheless asked to focus on potential conditions and challenges in the affected region three days following the attack. The goal of the roundtable was to understand the nature and scope of these challenges and to frame questions considered essential for appropriate planning. Day Three was premised on the notions that (a) while nuclear terrorism is a low probability event, it is by no means far-fetched; (b) consequences would be devastating and (c) emergency response planning to date falls far short in terms of assuring regional readiness at an appropriate scale. A summary of the proceedings of this "not for attribution" conference comprises the body of this report.Public healthir2110, kll2121Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsDomestic preparedness cuts in the current federal budget threaten infrastructure gains and public health preparednesshttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:144358
Redlener, Irwin E.; Abramson, David M.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:12468Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:40:02 +0000Recent cuts in the federal budget have serious implications for the country's preparedness and response standing. In mid-May, federal agencies released their final FY11 budgets. Much of the country's funding for homeland security and public health preparedness resides in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budgets. Preparedness and response funding within DHHS and DHS dropped by nearly $900 million, from $5.3 billion in FY10 to $4.4 billion in FY11, a 17% overall reduction.Public healthir2110, dma3Population and Family Health, Pediatrics, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Sociomedical SciencesReportsImpact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population Impact Studyhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:128195
Abramson, David M.; Redlener, Irwin E.; Stehling-Ariza, Tasha; Sury, Jonathan; Banister, Akilah N.; Park, Yoon Soohttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:9416Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:32:49 +0000Although the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well was capped on July 15, 2010, an estimated 3 to 5 million barrels of oil spilled in to the Gulf of Mexico over a three-month period. Several surveys prior to the capping of the well documented the concerns and immediate effects of the oil spill on coastal residents. One report by a team of LSU sociologists highlighted the anxiety caused by the oil spill - nearly 60% of the 925 coastal Louisiana residents interviewed said they were almost constantly worried by the oil spill. As the "acute phase" of the oil spill transitions to a longer-term "chronic phase," researchers at Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness, in collaboration with the Children's Health Fund and The Marist Poll, interviewed over 1,200 coastal residents in Louisiana and Mississippi, with a particular focus on the short- and potential long-term impact of the disaster on children. This study was informed by work the researchers have done post-Katrina as part of the Gulf Coast Child & Family Health Study, which has documented the enduring effects on impacted populations in the two states, particularly children.Public health, Individual and family studiesdma3, ir2110, nas51, jjs2154, anb2121, ysp2102Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsPreparedness—A Reminder for the Publichttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126185
Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8853Tue, 25 May 2010 16:20:08 +0000In this paper, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness presents general guidelines for maintaining mental health during times of increased risk of terrorism.Public health, Public administrationir2110Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsThe New York City Principals Pandemic Flu Survey: Are Schools Prepared?https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126173
Thomas, Gregory A.; Morse, Stephen S.; Alvarez, Wilmer; Soloff, Lisa; Abramson, David M.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8849Tue, 25 May 2010 13:49:55 +0000It will be only a matter of time before another influenza pandemic occurs. Pandemic flu refers to a novel human influenza virus that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic. Researchers cannot accurately predict the timing, severity, or source of the next pandemic, but are certain it would present a myriad of issues for the public health infrastructures of our local communities. In the case of a pandemic flu outbreak, daily routine would be interrupted and school administrators would have many challenges to face. School principals in particular serve a unique role in their communities -- they are the link between their schools and the outside world, as well as a means of communication between these two sectors. It is important for individuals in this role to be seen as a clear and constant channel of communication at all times, especially during an emergency. In October of 2006, researchers from the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), in coordination with the New York City (NYC) based Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), conducted a web based survey of NYC school principals to gauge their level of preparedness and to address the concern of principals for the many consequences that may arise for their schools if a pandemic flu outbreak is to occur. 330 of the 1260 principals responded (26.2%). Among key findings were the following: 1) 84.1% of principals did not have a pandemic flu plan; 2) Among the few schools with a plan, four out of five principals were not familiar with it; 3) The overwhelming majority of principals said their school had no process for talking with parents, and few have been involved in community level planning efforts. Schools are a resource to the safety of the community, and the well-being of schools and the community are inexorably intertwined. Recommendations for the future center on the need for schools and communities to work together to prepare for pandemic flu, as well as other emergencies. Other important recommendations include improving upon the role of the principal as a risk communicator and integrating the pandemic flu plan into the school's existing safety plan.Public health, Public administrationssm20, dma3, ir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Epidemiology, Sociomedical Sciences, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsThe American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2007 on Terrorism, Security, and Disaster Preparednesshttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126170
Redlener, Irwin E.; Abramson, David M.; Stehling-Ariza, Tasha; Grant, Roy F.; Johnson, Dennis G.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8848Tue, 25 May 2010 13:40:39 +0000Since 2002, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and The Children's Health Fund (CHF), have conducted annual surveys of public attitudes and personal preparedness in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Produced in collaboration with the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO), each is a random-dial telephone survey of a representative random sample of the US population (selected consistent with demographic characteristics of the most recent available update of the 2000 census). Each survey, including the current, has included a set of questions repeated every year, which generate trend data, as well as questions specific to events current to each study period. Repeated questions ask about confidence in government; willingness and ability to evacuate; extent of personal and family preparedness; and perceptions of community preparedness. All questions are compared across a variety of demographic characteristics including race, age, gender, income, and region, size of community, political affiliation, and education. Further, the responses to select questions, such as awareness of community preparedness plans, are compared across certain groups of respondents (e.g. those having personal and family preparedness plans vs. those who do not). The surveys are developed by NCDP and CHF investigators in conjunction with MIPO, who administers the survey, codes the data, and produces the frequency tables.Public healthir2110, dma3, nas51, rfg2101, dj2113Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Pediatrics, Sociomedical SciencesReportsThe Legacy of Katrina's Children: Estimating the Numbers of Hurricane-Related At-Risk Children in the Gulf Coast States of Louisiana and Mississippihttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126161
Redlener, Irwin E.; Abramson, David M.; Stehling-Ariza, Tasha; Fuller, Elizabeth J.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8845Tue, 25 May 2010 12:05:19 +0000The 2005 hurricane season, which included hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, exacted a monumental toll on the people and infrastructure of the Gulf Coast region in the southern United States. Disaster-related losses were estimated to have exceeded $110 billion. Much has been written about the short-term effects on the local housing stock, economy, and populations. Less understood, however, are the long-term consequences on the children of the Gulf Coast who experienced first the storm, and then the displacement which uprooted so many from their homes and communities. The displacement, which for many children and families continues through the present, has resulted in households living in unfamiliar environments, far from friends and family or locally-supportive community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, and schools. More tangibly, the displacement has also led to hazardous and crowded housing conditions as families were forced to double-up, move in to small travel trailers for extended periods of time, or live in areas adjacent to environmental or construction hazards. The loss of civic infrastructure — particularly among education, health care, and criminal justice systems — has compounded the problems facing families and children as they return to their recovering communities or as they continue to live in temporary or transitional settings. The objective of this research brief is to enumerate the population of children who have been "exposed" to this post-hurricane displacement and infrastructure loss, and to consider how many of them are at elevated risk of a poor future outcome. However much the housing, roadways, and levees are rebuilt and the local economies reconstituted, the legacy of these hurricanes may endure in the lives of these "at-risk" children.Public health, Public administrationir2110, dma3, nas51Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReportsThe 2008 American Preparedness Project: Why Parents May Not Heed Evacuation Orders and What Emergency Planners, Families and Schools Need to Knowhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126155
Redlener, Irwin E.; Grant, Roy F.; Abramson, David M.; Johnson, Dennis G.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8843Tue, 25 May 2010 11:36:29 +0000Since 2002, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and The Children's Health Fund (CHF), have conducted annual surveys of public attitudes and personal preparedness in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Produced in collaboration with the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO), each is a random-dial telephone survey of approximately 1,300 - 1,500 adults stratified according to US Census 2000 data. Current and trend data from these surveys reveal a disjuncture between Americans' awareness and sensitivity to possible natural and man-made threats and their consistently low levels of personal preparedness. Each survey, including the current, have included trended questions as well as "one-off" questions appropriate to the given time period. Trended questions ask about confidence in government; willingness and ability to evacuate; personal and family preparedness plans; personal sacrifice; community preparedness; and perceptions and engagement of all-hazard preparedness. All questions are cross-tabulated with a variety of demographic characteristics including race, age, gender, income, and region, size of community, political affiliation, and education. Further, select questions establishing a division of respondent (e.g. those having personal and family preparedness plans vs. those who do not) are cross-tabulated with other selected questions to observe correlations (e.g. awareness of community preparedness plans). The surveys are developed by NCDP and CHF investigators in conjunction with MIPO, who administers the survey, codes the data, and produces the frequency tables.Public health, Public administrationir2110, rfg2101, dma3, dj2113Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Pediatrics, Sociomedical SciencesReportsPediatric Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorism: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summaryhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126149
Markenson, David; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8842Tue, 25 May 2010 11:26:34 +0000In a time of crisis, it is essential to ensure the needs of children are being met in planning and preparing for disasters and terrorist events. The current adult models and guidelines cannot be applied to the care of children. We convened experts from the multiple areas of expertise and disciplines involved in the planning for and care of children during times of disaster and terrorist events. The goals of this unprecedented meeting were to: 1) Build collaboration among individuals with expertise in pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric critical care, pediatric surgery, and emergency management, including disaster planning, management, and response; 2) Review and summarize the existing data on the needs of children in disasters, including planning, preparation, and response; 3) Develop consensus on the needs of children in disasters; 4) Create a research agenda to address knowledge gaps based on the limited data that exist on the needs of children in disasters.Public health, Public administrationir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsPediatric Preparedness for Disasters, Terrorism and Public Health Emergencies: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summary and Final Reporthttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126146
Markenson, David; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8841Tue, 25 May 2010 10:45:05 +0000In 2003, we convened experts from the multiple areas of expertise and disciplines involved in the planning for and care of children during times of disaster and terrorist events. The goals of this unprecedented meeting were to: 1) Build collaboration among individuals with expertise in emergency management, including disaster medicine, disaster planning, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric critical care, pediatric surgery, and emergency management, management, and response; 2) Review and summarize the existing data on the needs of children in disasters, including planning, preparation, and response; 3) Develop consensus on the needs of persons with disabilities in disasters; 4) Create a research agenda to address knowledge gaps based on the limited data that exist on the needs of children in disasters. The 2003 conference led to the pediatric consensus document that established the first national guidelines and recommendations for pediatric preparedness. These guidelines then served to advance pediatric preparedness by allowing all those involved in emergency preparedness, including emergency management, public health, law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and hospital systems, to begin preparing to deal with children in disaster situations. These guidelines also served as the basis for discussion by the National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism.Public health, Public administrationir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsPediatric Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disasters, Terrorism, and Public Health Emergencies: A National Consensus Conference: 2009 Updatehttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126143
Garrett, Andrew L.; Redlener, Irwin E.http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8840Mon, 24 May 2010 17:15:12 +0000This is the third consensus document in an ongoing process to convene experts from the multiple disciplines that are involved in the planning for children affected by disasters.Public health, Public administrationir2110National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Population and Family Health, PediatricsReportsRegional Health and Public Health Preparedness for Nuclear Terrorism: Optimizing Survival in a Low Probability/High Consequence Disasterhttps://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:126140
Redlener, Irwin E.; Garrett, Andrew L.; Levin, Karen; Mener, Andrewhttp://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:8839Mon, 24 May 2010 12:56:31 +0000The United States remains unprepared to cope with the possibility of an attack on a major city by terrorists capable of acquiring and detonating an improvised nuclear device. Long-held anxieties about the non-survivability of nuclear war promulgated during the intense U.S.—Soviet arms race from the late 1940s through the 1980s, and reluctance to consider low probability/high consequence events among local disaster planning priorities, are barriers to developing plans that could dramatically save lives in the event of a terrorist-based nuclear detonation. This paper begins by describing the reality of the threat of nuclear terrorism to the United States and the enormous scale of lives lost and physical destruction that would result from the detonation of even a small improvised nuclear device (IND) in an American city. It then systematically lays out the gross inadequacy of current response capabilities, and highlights the critical unmet need for urgent, deliberate and well-funded planning efforts to address those deficiencies. In the Recommendations section, Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) calls for targeted public health and medical care regional planning and response efforts focused on “gray zones”—areas where significant life-saving opportunities would exist following an IND detonation, and where preparedness planning and proper training can meaningfully enhance survival and recovery.Public health, Public administrationir2110, kll2121Population and Family Health, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, PediatricsReports